At Risk Groups

At Risks GroupsLone Parents 49% of people in lone parent households are poor Lone parents are more likely to be poor for two reasons - Women from poorer backgrounds have a higher risk of becoming lone parents in the first place. So they are already more likely to be at risk of poverty before having children - Any lone parents is likely to be poor because they have to combine childcare with employment. This means that they are more likely to work part time, so their incomes on average will be lower. It is important to remember, however that not all lone mothers are poor ­it is just that they are more at risk of povertyChildren 30% of children are living in low income families In 2005/6, there were 3.8 million children living in poverty This is a decline of almost 750,000 since 1998 Approximately 75% of all children living in households where the parent(s) are unemployed live in povertyThe Unemployed Those who are unemployed for a long time face much greater problems than those who are out of work for a short period These problems include a lower level of income, the gradual exhaustion of savings, and deterioration in the condition of clothing, furniture, and general possessions After three months of unemployment, the average disposable income of a family drops by as much as 59% It is not just financial losses that occur as a result of long term unemployment - there are psychological effects too, such as lack of confidence, stress and depression These further undermine people's ability to obtain workThe low paid 31% of all poor people are in full time or part time employment, but simply do not earn enough to live on People who are low paid tend to be those with fewer skills, and they often live in areas where there are relatively few jobs, so competition keeps wages low As we have seen, there is a link between low pay and lone parenthood, in that lone parents usually have to take part time jobs because of childcare responsibilitiesSick and disabled people

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There are several reasons for the poverty of long term sick and disabled people, and their carers - They may be unable to work, or the work they can do may be limited to particular kinds of low-paid employment - People with disabilities often have higher outgoings, such as having to pay for a special diet or having to pay for heating to be on all dayOlder People Over 65% of older people are women With the gradual rise in life expectancy, the number…read more